It seems like every other day, there’s an article about someone falling for a scam that started on a dating website or app. The latest: A recently divorced woman was swindled out of $100,000 by a scammer she met on Tinder. In a months-long scheme, the scammer convinced her to invest all her retirement funds in cryptocurrency.
“Single women approaching middle age are so vulnerable,” the woman told the Daily Mail. “We have money, but we might not have met the right guy yet. And suddenly, this good-looking man starts talking to you, and you’re excited.”
She added, “Looking back, the signs are so obvious. But at the time, you want to believe it’s real.”
You might be thinking: “I’d never fall for that.”
But scammers are clever and know what they’re doing, preying on vulnerabilities as they invest time getting to know you — and it’s worth keeping these red flags in mind as you navigate the (already tricky) online dating world.
1. They won’t meet you in person.
In the case of the woman above, she had video calls with her scammer, but he wouldn’t make himself clearly visible on their video calls and avoided a face-to-face meetup.
If the person you’re talking to is acting strange about getting together in person, it’s a red flag. Even if they’re not a scammer, if someone is serious about a relationship (and not just a pen pal), there should be an effort to take the connection offline.
2. They pressure you to share personal information.
Online scammers may attempt to extract personal information from their targets such as your full name, address, phone number, or even sensitive details like social security or bank account numbers. Be extra cautious about revealing this information to someone you’ve met over a dating app until you’ve gotten a chance to know each other better.
3. They have a questionable profile.
While many scammers put a lot of effort into making their dating app profiles look legitimate by using a real person’s photos and writing an in-depth bio, steer clear of profiles without photos, blank bios or numerous spelling/grammar mistakes in their messages or profile. While this isn’t a sure sign of a scam, it could be a sign to wade carefully.
4. They employ “love bombing.”
Fraudsters may employ tactics to quickly establish an emotional connection by showering their target with exaggerated compliments, premature professions of love, or claims of an unusually deep connection without having met in person. Be cautious of people who seem too good to be true or attempt to rush the relationship before developing a genuine foundation.
5. They ask for money.
In addition to offering phony financial advice, scammers posing as potential partners may gradually establish trust and connection before requesting financial assistance. They might claim to face an emergency, incur medical expenses, or even ask for money to visit you. But a true romantic interest would not (or at least should not) ask for money from someone they have just met online. Be cautious and avoid sharing your financial information or sending money to anyone you haven't gotten to know well.
Online dating is difficult enough without the fear of falling for a scam, but remaining vigilant, doing your research, protecting your personal information and trusting your instincts can help you avoid such a swindle. Your safety and well-being should always come first — and if that scares away a potential partner, then that wasn’t the right match for you (scammer or otherwise).
